International Summer Week Event is a fund raising week-long event happening every summer in the beautiful island of Sardinia, Italy. It is being participated from people all over the world over the world (mostly Europeans). The activities in this event include visiting different beaches and places in Sardinia, boat rides, partying, meeting people, games and a little bit of historical and cultural tours dashed in between. (See my previous blog, Nothing But Pure Fun at International Summer Week 2016 (ISW2016) for more details on the activities.) More or less, I could sum it up as 7 days of drinking, partying mixed with cultural integration and little bit of sports.
Every single day, from morning until night, and even until the wee hours in the morning, there were planned activity/ies for the participants so I assumed everybody had fun. I was also able to talk to some of the participants towards the end of ISW2016, and they told me they had super fun and they liked it and some will definitely be back for the next International Summer Week. But I was also surprised by some feedback from a few participants that they find this year’s International Summer Week a bit less fun.
So I pose this question, how do you have fun in International Summer Week? What is your concept of having fun in International Summer Week event? (1) Is it party, drink, beach, sleep or is it (2) party, drink, beach, sports, cultural visit and exchanges and sleep?
It seems in the previous International Summer Week Events, it was more of party, drink, beach and a bit crazy. But this year, the organizer, TDM 2000, my NGO, wanted it to be more different. They want more cultural and historical integration to this year’s ISW. Thus the decision to do the treasure hunt which involves walking all over the center, going to some historical places, performing Sardinian songs and dramas that connote Sardinian history. Moreover, TDM 2000 is trying to introduce itself to the participants (most importantly) and to other people in Sardinia that it is not just this Organization that hosts crazy parties every year. It is an organization that is very much involve in youth and community work. That is why we have brought some of the posters of previous project of TDM and put them up in the hostel where the participants are staying to give them an idea of the projects that TDM 2000 has previously worked on. We also visited this place in Monserrato, and local officials briefly speak to us about the issue on unemployment and plans on how they would address it and their ongoing and future projects on youth.
So this year’s International Summer Week event has mixed reviews. I am not judging the people who only want to party, drink, go to beaches, sleep and party and drink and more. I totally get it why there are some people who are like this. They have lives at their own country, their own job and issues that they want to temporarily leave behind (more or less) for 7 days or more and just be there for this ISW event to meet people, talk and flirt and party, drink, go to beaches, sleep and party and drink more. There is totally nothing wrong with that. They have paid for it and have their own expectations and they want just want to have fun on their own terms.
And then there were types of participants who doesn’t mind a mix of everything, from partying, drinking to cultural interactions and integration and beaches of course. There are people who doesn’t mind learning new things, interesting stuff and be educated on what is happening around and involved more on cultural aspect while partying, drinking, talking to people and going to the beach at the same time. I could say I belong to this group. With all the partying, drinking and beaches, I didn’t mind meeting politicians, hear a small talk about their youth and community project, see how Italians make a ravioli and taste a freshly made pasta, see an elderly couple dressed in traditional Sardinian clothes. For me, that was amazing, hearing people that they are making something, contributing to change, good change. This is my first time in Europe, in Italy and whole my life I’ve known Italy as the land of pasta and wine and seeing in person how Italian make their pasta is amazing and so is drinking wine in Italy. That is something I’ve crossed out from my bucket list. Seeing Sardinian people dressed in traditional Sardinian dress is also great joy for me, because it is so different from what we have. It has been a delight during the treasure hunt to see the participants serenade the lady from the bar in order for them to complete their task and give them a drink and to see them perform a mini drama about the history of Cagliari. It was remarkable to see football match between Europeans and see their passion (as you know, football is a religion in Europe) on this Sport in Poetto beach. It was wonderful learning and dancing a Sardinian dance together with the locals of Gesico and them smiling and thanking you after just because I cared to learn it and dance it with them.
The parties, the drinking and the beach is always there. For 7 days (and for some it was more), one or two of those activities is always there. And most probably, everywhere you go, you can party and drink. So I didn’t mind to insert tradition, history, sport and culture in between. For me, it was a nice change of phase once in a while all throughout the event.
I did have fun. And I did not see anything wrong or boring with mixing a bit of everything in the event. There were no crazy stuff and yet the whole event was fun and enjoyable. Every activity in the International Summer Week Event was tailored to make it a very fun and enjoyable for everyone and to make sure it is worth it.
So for the next years participant, have fun and make the most out of it.
Anahaw Cahilig – EVS volunteer from Philippines